A Beginner's Guide to Passover Coke

Some people see the yellow caps or “OU-P” symbol and know exactly what's up. But to clarify, here are five things to know about Passover-friendly soft drinks:

1. Passover starts on April 9 this year, and usually a couple weeks leading up to the Jewish holiday, we start seeing Passover Coke.

2. All year long, corn syrup is kosher per se, except during Passover when Jews avoid most grains (see ya, corn). That means sodas are naturally kosher the rest of the year, but during the holiday, kosher needs to involve real sugar, not corn syrup.

3. Major soda brands that usually roll out special "Kosher for Passover" lines include Coke, Sprite, Sierra Mist, and Pepsi (and new this year, Pepsi Throwback is also made with real sugar). The deli's mascot drink Dr. Brown's also does their black cherry and cream soda varieties in two-liter bottles and six-pack cans. Sorry, no progress on Cel-Ray yet. Here is a full list of other Kosher-safe beverages.

4. Most average grocery stores will carry the sugar-bearing goods. You shouldn't have to make a special trip to a Jewish neighborhood. According to UOKosher.org, focused areas include: the New York metropolitan area, Boston, Baltimore-Washington, Miami, Atlanta, Houston, Philadelphia, and Los Angeles.

5. So where exactly can you buy Passover Coke? Gothamist reports that bottles can be already spotted at the Upper West Side and Harlem Fairways, and keep your eyes peeled at most Key Foods, Associated, and A&P stores. For more national info, check out this thread on BevNet.

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